Carmelo Anthony talks about Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks

On Tuesday, of course, the Knicks will come to town. Carmelo Anthony, of course, desires to play in the New York area, sources have repeatedly said.

On Monday at morning shootaround, I asked Melo about coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system in New York: “You’re up and down, fast-paced and you get extra possessions in the game,” he said. “On the flip side, I’ve been on teams where we weren’t known for our defense, and that’s not something I want to ever deal with again.”

Also on Monday morning, Melo called the Knicks game “just another game on my schedule,” and after the Nuggets-Suns game that night, Melo had actually forgotten who Denver’s opponent was for Tuesday.

Finally, when I asked him about Tuesday’s media/fan craziness, and if he’ll use mental tricks to stay focused, Melo said: “Tricks are for kids, man. I don’t play games with myself, I don’t trick myself. It is what it is. I go out there and play. Once I’m on the court, I don’t think about anything.”

Carmelo doesn’t let free agency affect his game, he leaves all that for his agent. His agent knows what he wants and you can bet the house he knows where he wants to go.All that media hype is a LeBron thing. Hope it’s the Knicks Melo chooses because we need help in a big way.

Carmelo doesn’t let free agency affect his game, he leaves all that for his agent. His agent knows what he wants and you can bet the house he knows where he wants to go.All that media hype is a LeBron thing. Hope it’s the Knicks Melo chooses because we need help in a big way.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.